The Man in the Hospital
by shannyfish
Summary: picks up from the Season Four Finale - plain & simple
1. Who are you?

**Title:** The Man in the Hospital  
**Author:** Shannon - shannyfish  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Bones" or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Pick up from the Season Four Finale – plain and simple.  
**Warning:** Severe spoilers for "The End of the Beginning" – Season Four Finale episode! You have been warned!

**Chapter 1 – "Who are you?"**

**Author's Note: **Obvious spoilers in case you didn't read the warning. It picks up RIGHT from "The End of the Beginning." Also, I'm using a different POV in this fic, let me know what you think! Not my normal style.

.............................

**Hospital Room**

"Who are you?"****

The words scared her and for a brief moment she thought he was joking, but then the truth settled. It made her want to cry and shake him. He was awake! The operation had been a success! He was going to live! Everything was going to be okay now. Why didn't he remember? Tears threatened to fall. Brennan kept them at bay and tried to keep a smile in place, there was no use in worry him. It would only upset him.

"It's me," Brennan said quietly. "Doctor Temperance Brennan." That was the wrong response she knew. "Bones. You call me Bones. We're partners, Booth."

She still wanted to cry. They'd come so far. She didn't care if she had a child; all she wanted was for Booth to be okay. That's all she wanted. She didn't need a progeny if she couldn't have Booth. Even though Angela was her best friend, so was Booth. Booth was just a different kind of best friend.

"Booth is me?" he asked.

He looked generally confused. Brennan nodded. She wanted to touch him, to assure him that everything would be okay. They'd figure out what was wrong. They'd find a way. They always did.

"Yes," Brennan finally responded after a moment.

"That's a weird name, isn't it?"

Brennan smiled. "You're Special Agent Seeley Booth, F.B.I." The clarification of who he was seemed to both impress him and still confuse him.

"I see why you call me Booth," he said.

He sounded like Booth. He didn't smile though. "I should get a doctor," Brennan said after a moment. She wanted to know if this was temporary or if Booth really wouldn't remember his life, his memories, her...

................................  
**  
Hospital Lobby**

This was hard.

Harder than she had thought.

She hadn't told them what had happened, that Booth couldn't remember, she'd just asked them all to come. Now she'd have to explain to them the truth of Booth's current condition. Brennan didn't understand why she couldn't stay calm. It was logical that she stay calm, after all, nothing was wrong with her. Booth hadn't died. He just didn't remember. Temporary amnesia was common with head trauma and with surgical procedures done on the brain. She should have expected it. Been prepared.

But she wasn't.

"Out with it, Sweetie," Angela prompted.

"Booth," Brennan started, she couldn't look at them. Somehow she felt it was her fault. She hadn't thought of this outcome before. No one was prepared, least of all her. So, she stared at the tiled floor. "Booth can't remember... The doctors say that the amnesia could be temporary...or it may be permanent. They're looking him over now."

"Oh, Brennan," Angela said.

Angela's arms encased her and held her tight. Brennan had noticed Angela's voice, one of sympathy. She held on for a minute. She needed this. She released and she could feel Angela do the same. Brennan pulled away and looked finally to the others. Everyone looked worried.

"I put in a call to Rebecca," Cam spoke up. "I was afraid that this wouldn't be the best news. I didn't want her to bring Parker down here until after I talked to you."

Brennan nodded. "It could seriously impact Parker if Booth didn't recognize him."

"It has to be good for him to see familiar people, though, right?" Hodgins spoke up. "He just needs some time to wake up and knock the cobwebs out of that head. We all see him every day. He'll recognize us."

"So much so that he'll probably kick us all out," Wendell spoke up.

Cam smiled. "Mr. Bray is right. Thinking negatively isn't going to help Booth. We need to stay positive. I'm sure between us all we can jog his memory."

She wasn't convinced. Brennan wasn't sure if she should be. She knew that Sweets was still on his way. Contacting Jared had resulted in leaving a message on his voicemail, but she hadn't heard back from him yet. She wasn't sure if she would. She didn't know where he was. For all she knew he was in India.

"Sweetie, why don't you go home?" Angela suggested.

"I'm fine," Brennan blurted out without thinking. She didn't want to leave Booth. She didn't care if he didn't remember her. Brennan wanted to be there when he remembered. She wanted to be able to help him remember.

"You've been here for four days, Doctor B," Hodgins said.

"I'm fine."

It was a lie. She wasn't fine. She wanted to cry. She wanted to go back into the hospital room and shake Booth and yell at him to remember. How could he forget her? Forget Parker? Brennan kept the tears at bay. She didn't want to look weak in front of them...at least not now. She couldn't bear it.

"Brenn—" Angela started.

Brennan quickly cut her off. "I'm fine, Ang," she told her as she stared at her. "I am. I need to be here right now." And she did. She didn't think she'd be able to relax at home. She just couldn't. She needed to be there with him.

"Look, the doctors are in there right now, right?" Cam asked.

She nodded.

"I'll go in and stay with Booth," Cam said.

She didn't want to leave him. Before Brennan could interrupt, Cam continued to talk.

"You run home. Grab a shower, pack a bag, maybe think of something that will help Booth remember, and then come back..." Cam said. "If there's any change, I'll call you right away. I promise. It's going to help him if you're okay."

Angela smiled. "You know Booth won't be happy when he finally wakes up from his amnesia if you look like hell just because you wouldn't go home for an hour."

She was right. Angela was always right it seemed, sometimes it just took her longer to realize it. Brennan didn't want to listen, but Angela was right. She hated to admit it.

"Okay."

...................................

**Hospital Room**

"Hello."

"Hello."

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

Tears sprung to her eyes, but she tried to keep them back. Her breath hitched in her throat. She struggled to control her emotions. To keep control. "You have nothing to be sorry for," Brennan said. She'd gone home and left him in Cam's able care. Cam hadn't gotten much from the doctors. They were all "it's too early to tell" with all their answers. It was unacceptable.

"Cam, right? That woman who was here before, her name is Cam."

Brennan smiled and moved the chair to his bedside. "Yeah, Cam."

"She explained things and that doctor... I feel guilty for some reason," he admitted. He shrugged.

"You shouldn't," Brennan told him. "You're alive, that's what matters."

"We're partners...that's what you said," Booth said.

He was trying. Brennan wasn't sure how much of Booth trying to figure out their world she could handle. It was heart breaking. "Yes," she finally said. "We're partners."

"And I'm an F.B.I. agent," he said with enthusiasm.

Brennan laughed. She couldn't help it. He almost sounded like a little kid just finding out what he was going to be in twenty years. "Yes. The best F.B.I. agent in fact."

"So, does that make you the best partner?" Booth asked.

She couldn't help, but keep her smile in place. "I'm the best in my field," she admitted.

"What field?"

Brennan tried to settle in and then got a bit worried. "Maybe you should eat something..." She didn't know if he'd eaten while she was gone, but she would have thought that he'd be hungry after being out for four days. Solid food might do him good.

"I could go for a burger and fries."

That was Booth. Somewhere inside he was there. "I don't think the hospital will let you have it, but I'll tell you what...you eat hospital food now, I'll make sure that Hodgins or Wendell bring you one later. Okay?"

"I could go for some pudding..."

Brennan got up and headed to the hall.

"Doctor Brennan?"

She stopped. It'd been a long time since he'd called her that. It had always been Bones. Bones. Now, she was reverted to a formal title. She turned and kept a smile on her face. For Booth. "Yes?"

"Are you going to tell me about what we do when you come back?"

Brennan willed herself to nod. "Yes." And she would. As best as she could. In terms that she knew that Booth would prefer. She'd use as little anthropology as possible. "But it's a long story..."

She left him with a smile and then disappeared into the hallway. Brennan found a nurse first to let her know that he wanted food, specifically pudding, and that she was going to get coffee. That's not where she was going. She fled the floor. Got into the elevator and mashed the first floor button.

The tears had to stay in.

She had to remain in control.

Control.

Control was slipping.

She wanted her Booth.

The Booth that called her Bones.

She waited. Not yet. Brennan sniffled and tried to stay as composed as possible at this point. Just a little farther. She hurried out of the elevator the second the doors opened. Quickly to the nearest exit, she fled. Out in the open air, she couldn't breathe.

Breathe.

Walk.

Breathe.

Walk.

Breathe.

Brennan approached the parking structure and thrust her hand into the pocket of her jacket to look for her keys. Happy that she'd deposited them there instead of in her bag that was still in Booth's hospital room. Quickly, she walked towards where she remembered parking her car.

She stopped. Her car wasn't there. She turned around. Tears were threatening to fall. Sobs were willing themselves to escape. It was imminent that she'd completely breakdown. Not here. Not here.

She'd parked here before. She'd gone home and then when she'd returned, she had parked on the second level. A sliver of sanity restored, she located the stairs and quickly ran up them. There was no time. Brennan spotted her car right away then. Clicking the remote, she unlocked her car.

Breathe.

Walk.

Breathe.

Walk.

Breathe.

Opening the door, she felt the cold of the door handle. She sniffled. Brennan sat in the driver's seat and quickly closed the door. Clicking the remote once again, this time to lock, she finally gave in.

Tears.

Sobs.

No air.

She couldn't handle it. She needed her Booth back. She wasn't the strong one. He was strong. She wasn't like that. She couldn't survive. Brennan let her head fall to her steering wheel and just cried.

A baby.

She was going to have his baby.

He'd wanted to be part of the baby's life. They'd have been a family. Brennan had been prepared to tell him that she was okay with that. That she wanted that. That she could be a family with him and a baby. She trusted him.

A baby.

That was just a dream.

A dream is what Brennan desperately wanted to wake up from. Booth was okay. She'd fallen asleep in her office...at her desk...or on her couch. A dream. That's what it had to be. She wanted to scream. She wanted to just work out all the emotions in any way she could. She had to return to Booth. The Booth that wasn't a dream. The Booth that didn't remember her. The Booth that was upstairs in the hospital room eating pudding.

Control.

Breathe.

So, she breathed and tried to calm herself. She'd already been gone for some time. Booth would be wondering what was taking her so long. She took in deep breaths and then pulled down the make-up mirror on the visor. Her face was red, she was splotchy, her mascara was running... There was no hiding that she'd been crying.

Keys in the ignition, she turned it. Once the car was on, she turned the air conditioner on high and let it cool her face. She reached into the glove compartment and found tissues. That was something at least. She tried to mop up the mess that her tears combined with the black mascara had caused.

A few minutes later, she felt she looked at least presentable. This Booth wouldn't notice the change. Her Booth would have. He would have known that there was something wrong. But he wasn't there. She closed her eyes and let her head drop into her hands as she breathed for a few extra minutes. She was afraid that if she thought about Booth that she'd break down again.

"You can do it," she told herself quietly.

Turning off the car, she pulled the keys out. She could do it. Getting out of the car, she turned and closed the door before clicking the remote to lock it. Once it beeped, she walked away. This time she took the elevator. Taking more time to return.

As she crossed the lobby. She stopped. Coffee. She'd gone to get coffee was her cover. Heading quickly for the cafeteria, she picked up a cup of coffee along with a croissant. At least she'd look like she'd done what she'd said she was doing. The line was really long was going to be her cover.

The elevator ride up was too fast. Before she knew it, the doors opened to the floor which Booth was located on. She stepped out a bit hesitantly.

Walk slowly.

When she got to his room, she paused for a moment to breathe before entering. She put on a smile for him. A façade. "Sorry, the line was really long," she apologized.

"They brought me pudding. Want some?" Booth asked.

"No," she said quietly. "I'm fine. Thanks."

"So, you said it was a long story."

"Yes," Brennan said a bit louder. She looked up at him. His face was expectant. "It is a long story... We work on cases together—"

..................................

TBC...


	2. Pain

**Title:** The Man in the Hospital  
**Author:** Shannon - shannyfish  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Bones" or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Pick up from the Season Four Finale – plain and simple.  
**Warning:** Severe spoilers for "The End of the Beginning" – Season Four Finale episode! You have been warned!

**Chapter 2 – "Pain"**

**Author's Note: **Glad everyone is enjoying... I think I'm going to compile a soundtrack for this...a song for each chapter...

chapter 1 – "keep breathing" by ingrid michaelson

chapter 2 – "the heart of the matter" by india arie

............................

"_Loving is a feeling that brings both joy and pain to my heart. Joy from being with you, being filled with an emotion so deep and tender that no other feeling can compare. Pain from knowing that I'm so in love, that I'm more vulnerable than I've ever"_

**Jeffersonian Institute**

Eleven days.

Seven days he'd been awake.

Four days he'd been in a coma.

Eleven days.

He still doesn't remember.

Sometimes when we're just sitting, I think he remembers. He gives me a familiar look, but it only lasts a second. I worry about him. Being alone. But he insists that even though he may not remember me, his life, or his friends...that he still remembers how to take care of himself. He promises to lock up. He promises to eat. He promises to make his doctor's appointment.

But I still worry.

Thinking of Booth brings me to tears. I can't help it. I've been at his side every day since he woke up. I've spent practically every day for the past four years with him, and he doesn't remember me. He doesn't remember me. It shouldn't haunt me so. It isn't logical. The doctor said it could take days, weeks, months, or even years for Booth to remember... Or he may never remember.

It was the most depressing factor in her world currently.

She loved him.

Brennan couldn't see Booth anymore. All she did was think about the past. Think about how he'd wanted to be part of a baby's life – a baby that would be part of them both – it was something that she felt like she needed to forget. She needed to get on with her life. To try to forget the last four years of her life...could she even do that?

Bringing her head up, she looked out from her office. The platform in the Medico-Legal Lab of the Jeffersonian Institute was quiet and there was no motion. Everyone was home. It was nearly eleven in the evening, there was no reason for anyone to be there. She needed to live again, but she didn't know if that was the smartest way to live...

Booth had been a part of the lab.

She wasn't sure if she could face his ghost every day. She let her head drop and closed her eyes. She sucked in breath and forced the tears back. There'd been too many tears. Brennan felt like she had no more tears left to shed. She felt like everything had already been emptied.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Her head shot up and she couldn't find the strength to wipe off the expression of surprise accompanied by her absolute exhaustion. Doctor Saroyan. Brennan had thought that Cam had left before she'd even arrived. "I—I didn't think anyone else was here..." Brennan mumbled.

"The F.B.I. has been in contact with me. They want to make sure that we'll still continue cooperating with them as we have in the past."

No Booth. It wouldn't be the same. She bit her lip. She thought for a minute and then started to talk. "What did you tell them?" She stared at Cam. She wished that she had Booth and Angela there. They'd be able to tell her more about Cam from her body language and from knowing her personally than she would know from their current conversation.

"That I'd have to get back to them. I needed to talk to my team."

"The Jeffersonian holds a long tradition of assisting law enforcement," Brennan said. "You should just tell them that we will continue in that tradition."

"What about you?" Cam asked.

"I don't know what you mean."

"You're going to be okay with this?"

"It's not about me. It's about the Jeffersonian. The lab."

"The F.B.I. is going to want to know if you're going to continue working in the field with an agent."

"No," she found herself saying before she even realized it. It was the answer, though. She couldn't do it without Booth.

"You're sure?"

Cam seemed surprised. Did she really expect her to go out in the field with Agent Perrotta? She wasn't that fond of Booth's sometimes replacement. If she couldn't work with Booth, her Booth, then she'd stay in the lab. "Yes. Unless they absolutely need us out in the field...and I mean absolutely, then I'd rather stay in the lab." Brennan swallowed and tried to hold back the immense sadness that flooded her insides. "If that's okay with you, Doctor Saroyan."

Cam nodded. "Of course."

Though Booth and Angela were much better at reading people, Brennan could clearly read the worry that was etched across Cam's face. She looked away. "And my grad students?" She wasn't sure if Cam was going to try to rush her choosing.

"I personally prefer Mr. Bray, but it's your assistant, Doctor Brennan. If you still need time, I'll allow that and support it."

"Thank you."

..................................

**Brennan's Office**

"Sweetie, I know that you think that you're doing the right thing coming back to work, but trust me you should be with Booth."

Angela's ranting had interrupted her breakdown. She'd hidden away in her office and made it very clear to Mr. Nigel Murray that if anyone asked, she wasn't there. Obviously Angela hadn't gotten that "memo" as Booth would call it. Booth. Her tears started to flow freshly.

"Sweetie?"

She could hear that Angela was moving towards her. She didn't look up. Brennan felt bad enough. She knew that Angela hadn't meant to yell. She was just worried. Angela was always the one who had looked out for her since they'd formed their original team.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Angela asked.

Brennan knew that now Angela was at her side. Her voice conveyed worry. She finally turned her head to look at her friend. She didn't say anything, she just looked at Angela. She didn't know how to form how she felt. Angela reached out and touched her face. It was a simple, yet comforting gesture. Brennan appreciated it.

"Booth?"

Nodding, Brennan tried to calm down. To breathe. Wiped the tears away. Breathe.

"Sweetie, look at me," Angela said.

Angela put her hands on either side of her face and turned it, so that Brennan was staring at her friend. She hated to be out of control. Sometimes she just hated emotion in general. "I don't know what to do," Brennan managed to get out. It hurt to think about Booth. She hadn't thought that she would hurt so much.

"Go away, okay?" Angela told her. "Pick a place on the map and just go."

"I can't—"

"Yes you can," Angela said firmly.

"I'm needed here, Angela," Brennan argued. "Who's going to take my place? I told Cam that I'd work in the lab, but not in the field."

"You have to have vacation hours," Angela told her. "I mean, you've never taken a real vacation. You always go on some charity thing where you identify victims of something..."

"I find it extremely fulfilling," Brennan told her as she reached up and wiped away tears.

"Then do that. Just leave..."

"But Cam—"

"Cam will survive. We'll keep one of the grad students, though I hope you'll tell us which one. I'll help you, if you like. Then we just call in Clark. He's not as good as you, but he'd dedicated."

Brennan smiled a bit. "He is a good forensic anthropologist."

"So?"

Angela was one of those friends who pushed you. She felt like she'd just been pushed out of a storm and into the sunlight. Angela pulled her into her arms. Brennan wrapped her arms around her friend and felt a bit of weight lifted. Like she was going to be okay.

"Thank you," Brennan said after a moment.

Angela released her after a moment and stared at her. Brennan could tell that she was trying to figure out if she was really okay. She wasn't even sure if she was completely okay.

"You still have to tell me which grad student stays."

"I don't know," Brennan told her honestly. "Well, how about you think about it. Logically, of course. I'm going to go talk to Cam."

"Okay."

"This is the right thing to do, Sweetie. Know that."

Brennan nodded and watched her leave. Her thoughts brought tears back to her eyes and she let them fall. She was able to breathe, though. No sobs emerged. What about Booth? She felt cruel somehow. Like she should be there every step of the way even though he'd made it clear that he could take care of himself. He'd lost his memory, he wasn't an invalid. It hadn't been comforting. He'd lost more than his memory. She felt like he'd lost his heart as well.

Booth.

Pain filled her heart. This was what it felt like to truly love. To feel pain. To feel it because you loved someone so much that it hurt. Booth didn't know this right now. He didn't feel. Or at least she didn't think he felt. He seemed colder to her. Even more so than when she first met him. He just wasn't the same and it depressed her in some ways. Sometimes she just felt like she was going to cry because she could tell just from looking at him that he wasn't right.

How she longed to hear him call her Bones, for him to joke with her, for him to arrive at the lab and pretend to know what was going on, for him to carry on their normal banter...and for him to remember that she cared about him. She loved him. He may not realize it. He may not have even known to what extent before, but she did. She loved him deeply, with her whole being. So much that it scared her.

A love that seemed at the moment to be able to crush her skeleton, to pierce her heart, and ultimately kill her.

A love that she hadn't known before.

A love that may never be again.

A love that only existed in the subtext of their relationship.

A love that she wished she could resurrect itself.

Like a phoenix.

To live again.

"Sweetie."

Brennan looked up quickly and wiped her tears away. Not only had Angela returned, but so had Cam. She felt a bit embarrassed to be in such a state in front of Cam. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because Cam was her boss. Maybe it was because she didn't like others to see how weak her feelings made her.

"I understand your need to take a sabbatical, Doctor Brennan," Cam said. "I wish we could just shut down everything until things were back to normal."

"But sadly, crime doesn't take a holiday," Angela said.

"I've already put in a call to Doctor Edison. He's agreed to fill in for you for as long as you need," Cam said. "He made some requests, but nothing too outrageous."

"Like what?" Brennan asked curious.

"Probably that Hodgins and I don't talk to him," Angela said with a sigh.

"Close," Cam said. "That we stay on topic. Work only. At least around him."

"I think I'm going to go to Peru," Brennan spoke up. She'd planned on going there at Christmas a couple Christmases before, but had ended up spending it with her family in jail. It had been a nice Christmas. But Peru, she figured would be an adventure and she was sure that there were still remains that could be identified. At least she'd feel useful.

"Peru?" Angela questioned.

"Peru."

...........................

TBC...


	3. Life on Hold

**Title:** The Man in the Hospital  
**Author:** Shannon - shannyfish  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Bones" or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Pick up from the Season Four Finale – plain and simple.  
**Warning:** Severe spoilers for "The End of the Beginning" – Season Four Finale episode! You have been warned!

**Chapter 3 – "Life On Hold"**

**Author's Note: **Since I like the grad student – Wendell Bray – the one who played hockey with Booth and was the bouncer in the finale, I'm using him in this fic...FYI

chapter 3 – "missing" by evanescence

...........................

**Jeffersonian Institute**

"You're going alone?" Wendell Bray asked.

She didn't understand why it was so important that she was going alone. She had gone on trips before; it wasn't like this was a new thing. Of course, the only reason she was leaving was because she couldn't currently function there and do her job properly with Booth in his current state. Brennan had intended to previously travel to Peru; this was just an opportunity to finally take that trip.

Booth.

Her head dropped for a moment as she forced herself to keep the smile on her face. It seemed to make things easier if she remained happy and smiley rather than miserable. Being miserable wouldn't get her anywhere at the moment. She needed to get done what she'd set out to do at the Jeffersonian and then return home to pack.

"Yes," she said and stared at him for a long moment before continuing. "I assume that you will be able to assist Doctor Edison in my absence," Brennan said.

"Maybe I should assist you in your travels," Wendell offered. "I do know how to shoot a gun. I could also assist you in identifying remains."

Brennan frowned, she was starting to think that the world had reverted to one in which women were thought to be inferior. Obviously, Mr. Bray was not apprised to the fact that she did know how to use a gun, though the one she'd bought had been too large for her. Perhaps she needed to buy another one, this time one closer to Booth's weapon.

Booth.

Keep the smile.

"Who said anything about identifying remains?" Brennan asked.

She watched him. Booth and Angela were still better at body language than she was, but she was trying. Brennan figured that observation was the best method of trying to keep a handle on it. Bray didn't seem to be up to anything, have any ulterior motives, though she did believe that he was concerned for her well being. He reminded her a bit of Booth.

Booth.

Wrap it up, so that you can leave. Keep the smile.

"I asked Ms. Montenegro why you were leaving, she said that you were supposed to go for Christmas to identify remains a few years ago," Wendell told her. "Though, I thought it was because of Agent Booth."

Booth.

Keep the smile in place.

She felt like turning and leaving. She couldn't do that. Not in good conscious. Not only would it give Wendell the idea that he was right, even though he was. It was also give worry to those she considered friends at the Jeffersonian. Someone would go after her or try to go along with her. She didn't think anyone really wanted to do that.

"I am going to identify remains," Brennan admitted.

"Look, I'm not looking to be paid or anything. I have money saved for a trip. Let me help you," Bray told her.

Purposefully, she had kept from trying to really know her grad students. She was looking for an assistant, not for another friend. She loved Zack...and she didn't think she could deal with such a loss again. Bray was the one grad student who had come the closest to being a friend to her and Booth. It was hard for her to tell him to stay out of her business. After all, he'd gone above and beyond his position in order to assist them. Booth liked him.

Booth.

She let her head drop.

"I will be fine, Mr. Bray," she finally said. She looked back up to him. "Though, I do appreciate your concern. I'll be checking in with Angela daily."

Bray nodded and then just stood in place as she walked away from him. Tears started to fall once her back was turned. She continued to her office to pack up a few things. At least in there she'd have some solace. It wasn't just some packing she needed to do, she'd also intended on leaving a few notes...just in case.

A note for Angela because she knew that her friend would visit her office in her absence.

A note for her father, just in case something were to happen to her. She also made sure to write something for Russ.

A note for Booth. Just in case he remembered.

She hoped he remembered. To have that letter be opened. She'd pour her heart into it. Sharing with him all the joy she had felt and all the pain she currently was filled with. Her hope for him to be well. Her hope that they could be together...to have their family. That note, was tucked at the bottom of the pile.

.................................

**En Route to Peru**

She was flying from Washington D.C. to Lima, Peru. She had one stop in Atlanta, Georgia. Brennan had booked the flight as a one way. She didn't know when she'd be returning just yet and it was a nice feeling to feel free...to not be burdened down by a date to return. She felt sadness though as well, like she had lost something...

Brennan stared out the window at the clouds. They'd be arriving Georgia soon enough. She'd pick up lunch before getting onto the final plane. She had brought all kinds of things to do, but nothing seemed to keep her interest. Her mind wandered. It wandered to a place she didn't want to think about. Booth.

She knew it was only natural. She and Booth had been together it seemed for everyday for many years now...and now she was without him. It was hard. It was harder that he didn't remember. At least if he just didn't love her, it would hurt but then she could move on with her life. She felt like her life was on hold.

On hold.

Possibly never to resume again.

Though, maybe it was just that she'd backtracked. Like her life before Booth. She stared down at her hands. Brennan wasn't sure what she was going to do in Peru. She'd offer her services if needed, but she also wouldn't mind just getting lost in the history. Peru offered a lot of culture that both lived and still remained. Though she was more interested in the culture that still survived, that peeked out from under centuries of vegetation.

She'd picked up some information packets in the store at the airport before getting on. They were more of tourist guides, but she felt like maybe she'd try being a tourist this time around. There had to be something to it. Millions of people did it every day.

Machu Picchu.

That's where she'd go.

There were opportunities to hike in different areas with all different experience levels. There was a grand hotel, which she'd knew Booth would cringe at the price per night and there was also camping available. It gave her a lot of options and a lot of things to think about on the flight.

Booth.

It was a place that she wouldn't mind sharing with him. It was beautiful. There was so much culture. There was just so much. It was an adventure. Yes, she knew that he'd label it an adventure.

Her heart ached at the thought. There was so much sadness at the thought of Booth. She felt guilty and extremely sad at the same time. How sad was it to think of someone she loved so much and to feel so sad about it? She found that it was so wrong, but couldn't help it. Booth wasn't the same. If she'd offered for him to come along on the trip, it wouldn't be right, he wouldn't be the same. It would be wrong.

It was already wrong.

Booth would have been very wary of her leaving the country on her own. He'd insisted on stricter check-in times than she'd arranged with Angela. He'd most likely have found a way to make it so that he was "needed" in Peru. Some FBI training thing that ended up being called off after he was already in Peru and then just having to go along with her.

She smiled sadly. Tucking the brochures and book away, she lay back in her seat and tried to relax. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on Peru. Booth kept popping into her head, though. His smile and his jokes that didn't make sense to her. His pop culture references, only ten percent of which she got. It would have been fun, she realized. She missed him terribly, her Booth.

The Booth that would do anything for her. That's who she missed. Her best friend, well her best guy friend. Angela said that he was her other half. He was. He was the emotional part of her. The part of her that was good with people.

She missed that part of herself...

........................

TBC...


	4. The Road Not Taken

**Title:** The Man in the Hospital  
**Author:** Shannon - shannyfish  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Bones" or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Pick up from the Season Four Finale – plain and simple.  
**Warning:** Severe spoilers for "The End of the Beginning" – Season Four Finale episode! You have been warned!

**Chapter 4 – "The Road Not Taken"**

**Author's Note: **Okay, I'm excited to see the Bones panel at Comic Con coming up here soon! Hopefully I'll get in...because I REALLY want to see it! : )

chapter 4 – "Ava Maria" - Beyonce

............................

**Lima, Peru**

Lima was alive even though it was late. It reminded her of a lot of other cities. She didn't plan on being there for long though. She had had enough of humans and life. She missed death... Lima was packed together; there wasn't enough space in between the buildings and the people. Brennan couldn't relax. She'd stay the night there, but in the morning she had to head Cusco where she'd continue her journey.

She took a taxi to her hotel and eventually found her room. It was what she needed. She hadn't gone all out. All she needed mainly was the bed and the shower.

Once she got into her room, she found herself too tired to sleep. Brennan let herself fall onto the bed though and curl up. She closed her eyes and found tears falling down her face. She rolled over, so her face was against the pillow. The tears soaked it and muffled her sobs.

It was still hard.

She had thought that the distance would help. To make the coping that much easier. It wasn't easier. It was almost harder. She hurt. Her insides felt twisted, like they were being pulled out through her belly button. Brennan curled up and hoped that she'd cry herself to sleep. It had been some time since she'd done so, but this time...she hoped for it.

She felt weak.

Pathetic.

Stupid.

She absolutely hated feeling like that. Brennan shortly wondered if this was what dying felt like. Sure, she'd almost died...she could have died, when the Gravedigger had buried her and Hodgins alive in a car. She had known that Booth would be there to save her. Now, she knew that he wouldn't. He wouldn't be there for her. This was so much worse...maybe it was just the not knowing that truly hurt.

Eventually, she did cry herself to sleep into a black darkness that took her in.

.................................

**The Next Day...**

En Route to Cusco, Peru

Brennan felt like she wasn't really there. Like it was all just a dream. Maybe this was what it had felt like for Booth to be in a coma...

She shook her head and tried to shake the thoughts off. She's promised herself, no thoughts of Booth on the trip, but she found that near impossible. After all, they'd been working together for five years now...he'd agreed to father her child...she loved him so dearly and now...now it was like someone had shaken a picture on an Etch-a-Sketch. It was all gone.

It wasn't fair.

She knew it was stupid to go back to that. It being fair. Life wasn't fair, she knew that better than anyone, but she was just having a more difficult time coping with this. She'd found herself ignoring the beautiful and culturally rich Peru on both sides of the vehicle transporting her from Lima to Cusco, and instead she was torturing herself.

She wasn't being fair to herself.

This trip was supposed to be a trip that would heal her. Cleanse her. Something that would help her deal with what was happening with her life. She knew that she should feel excited. What she was about to do usually had to be booked months, if not a year in advance, but she'd been lucky enough to go on it with such little notice.

It was a once in a lifetime experience.

Brennan shook her head again. She forced the tears to stay back. She didn't want the whole trip to be one big mental breakdown. She could do this. She could make it work. Her life wasn't all about Booth. She'd survived on her own for so long before Booth. She could survive this week without him as well. Brennan had planned on a twelve day trip. And then she'd return and see if she could continue.

She'd figured out back-up plans, of course, but none of them were as rewarding in her mind as her job at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab working with the F.B.I., working with Booth. It would leave her life solitary...it would mean that she'd have to leave her friends behind and possibly move farther away from Russ and his family. It was so hard to think of it. To leave Booth behind was hard, but even harder for her to imagine leaving Angela.

Although they had their differences, Angela had always been there for her and she liked to think she'd been there for her too. Angela was what she thought a sister should be. They shared secrets and they helped each other. Angela was always trying to get her to do things that she may not be sure about doing. She pushed her. She made her better. She wasn't sure if she could just leave Angela...though now Angela had Hodgins. It would still be difficult.

Brennan sighed and then turned to look out her window. It was beautiful. Breathtaking.

Cusco was not like Lima. There were tightly packed places, but they weren't the same type of buildings as in Lima. A backdrop of beautiful natural mountains made it into a perfect picture. It was natural beauty in the midst of civilization.

Where she was going, there wasn't going to be any civilization.

Well, at least not much.

She'd wanted to complete the journey she had wanted to make all on her own, but it wasn't allowed. She had to stay with a group, for heaven's sake they had a cook on duty! Brennan had lived in harder places with no cook or no bathroom tents... This wasn't going to be exactly the journey she'd hoped for, but she figured that there was a possibility that she could make a deal with her guide.

For the next seven days, she'd be making her way to Machu Picchu on foot. The Salkantay Inca Trail was not the normal route taken, but rather an alternate trek which added much more challenge to the journey. They'd be leaving from the village of Mollepata and would be passing through various different climates and weather changes.

It was something in which she'd wanted to just lose herself in. Maybe take ten days to make the journey instead of seven. To let herself get lost and find some happiness there. That wasn't the plan that was laid out on paper, though. Either way, she hoped that it was for the very least...a diversion.

The car moved through the city of Cusco and started towards the mountains. She had to get to the 9,515 feet point where the village was located and where she'd be meeting with the people she'd be travelling with. She'd packed her own backpack and left it at that. The company was supplying the tents and the base camp gear. She'd packed the clothing which was absolutely necessary along with other essentials. She'd also packed rain gear, a sleeping bag, and extra thermal blanket, and water bottles. She felt prepared. It wasn't like these kinds of journeys were new to her; she just hadn't travelled to Machu Picchu before.

The slow climb up the mountain allowed her to take in the greenery and try to breathe. Things were going to be fine. Things were going to be better.

.........................

**Mollepata, Peru**

Mollepata was where she'd depart. It was unlike Lima and Cusco in the facts that it was connected with dirt roads. The buildings were farther spaced and not constructed of such complex materials as were the far more populated cities.

Far from civilization.

Of course they wouldn't be immune from people. There were a few trails that people departed on between Mollepata and Machu Picchu, they just happened to be taking the longest one in. She still had planned on asking about extending her trip, so the seven days would melt into nine...or so...until she felt like she was ready to leave. She didn't want to be rushed or paced.

This was supposed to be a journey.

She wanted to leave Peru with a sense of what she could endure and what would come next in her life. Brennan didn't think she'd felt so confused, constantly sad to almost a state of depression, and generally feeling alone since her parents and Russ left. She had thought that those years following had been the worst in her life, but she thought that this was much worse. The pain was much more severe. Her heart ached and pain spiked through her veins, reaching out and electrifying her system with jolts of pain, extending all the way to her fingers and toes.

Booth.

If Booth were here, she knew that he'd label this a spiritual journey...she knew him well enough to know that. He'd smile his charming smile at her and tilt her head and tell her that he knew that she knew the answer to what she was looking for, but that looking for guidance meant that her journey she was about to undertake would be deemed as a spiritual one. And maybe he was right. She could think of many cultures with similar rituals and rites of passage. Maybe this was hers.

She liked to think that if this was some kind of spiritual journey that she was doing it on behave of Booth. In order for her to know how to best live with the life they'd shared over the last five years...and truly know what to say to him and what to do once she got back to D.C. and saw him. She couldn't picture herself telling him anything...not even goodbye, which made her think that maybe she really didn't know what to do deep down... Maybe she was stuck. Maybe she was just scared. Brennan didn't know. All she knew was that she was doing this in order to be able to do what was best for them both.

The car came to a stop and she paid the driver before exiting and removing her bit of luggage. It was just enough that she needed, a hiking pack filled with what she needed and she'd added some granola bars and some other foodstuffs that wouldn't perish and wouldn't take up much space in case the trail guide decided to let her stay a bit longer. Her sleeping bag was strapped to the outside, even though the travel company supplied them and the porters transported them to every campsite, she was still hoping to persuade them to let her adjust the trip.

The car sped away and she turned, looking for the travel group. She located them quickly. There was a group forming near a few mules which were packed with equipment and a man speaking with a brightly colored shirt on that had the logo of the company she'd booked with, or at least she thought it was the logo. She headed towards them and quickly saw that it was indeed the logo of the company. At the very least she was in the right spot.

She joined them and stayed quiet. Most of the people there looked like they were probably American. Brennan wagered that they probably were doing this as a "challenge" and probably went to the gym and thought that they were in great shape. She didn't think that people could declare themselves in great shape until they'd climbed and hiked trails around the worlds in various climates and altitudes. Sometimes just a small change, like sand instead of grass, could up the difficulty one hundred fold. She doubted any of them knew or cared about that.

This was one of the reasons why she didn't want to stay with the group. Most of them were inexperienced, but were okay with camping in luxury. The porters would spoil them carrying their luggage and camp gear; they'd set up camp ahead of them and have a hot meal waiting. That's not the experience she wanted. She could get that in D.C. easily enough. Though it was a metropolitan area, there were still hiking areas close enough by she could travel to. That's all this was...bringing the outside world in.

Brennan stayed quiet as the man talked. The trail guide was supposed to be bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. She figured that given the area that the guide probably could speak different dialects of Spanish as well. She'd pull him aside later and talk to him; see if they could negotiate something.

As she stood there, not really listening, she realized how much she missed Booth and Angela and Hodgins... The Jeffersonian and those she worked with had been a major part of her life for the past five years at the very least and she found herself homesick for it all.

She tried to force herself to concentrate on what was at hand. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on the voice of the guide, she found herself not able to. Though she wasn't too concerned at what she was missing. This trail was a road not taken by many, she'd been on trails such as those in the past, she figured that she knew the jist of what he was trying to convey to them.

Soon enough they'd be leaving Mollepata and heading up towards the higher mountains, into nature at its finest and possibly most purest form.

.........................

TBC...


	5. Day One

**Title:** The Man in the Hospital  
**Author:** Shannon - shannyfish  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Bones" or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Pick up from the Season Four Finale – plain and simple.  
**Warning:** Severe spoilers for "The End of the Beginning" – Season Four Finale episode! You have been warned!

**Chapter 5 – "Day One"**

**Author's Note: **On my way home from Wyoming with limited internet access, so it's a bit hard to write this without access to all my resource pages...

new music videos on BonesTube – profile name: shannyfish  If you would rather download directly then say so in the comment!

chapter 5 – "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday

.............................

**Mollepata, Peru**

Brennan was ready...but there was one thing she had to do before leaving. She had to call Angela. This had been a last minute decision; one she hadn't brought up to her friend before leaving. She didn't want Angela to worry. She had promised to check in every day with her, but hadn't brought a satellite phone. She was going to go somewhere where cell towers wouldn't reach her.

The silence would be well received.

((Hello?))

"Hey, Ang," Brennan said.

((Sweetie, how are you? Is it beautiful?))

"I'm okay and yes, it's beautiful," Brennan replied as she looked over towards the mountains. The grand Salkantay Mountain rising up to one side. That was where they'd be heading. It rose high and was capped with white snow.

((Look, I know you think you need to do this, but come home.))

"I'll be home next week, Ang," Brennan told her. "I've decided to hike a trail here."

((Of course you have. But you know you're missing human remains...facinating cases...all that jazz that you love. You know all the grad students miss you...even Daisy.))

"She's not one of my grad students that should be at the Jeffersonian."

((She was here for lunch with Sweets and the other students. She mentioned it. Anyways, Sweetie. We all miss you. Hodgins says that it's not fair that he didn't get to go with you, something about the hard core science element being off in the lab.))

"Doctor Clark Edison is supposed to be there in my absence."

((He is Sweetie, but Hodgins insists it's not the same. Plus, I miss you...dearly... Come home.))

"Next week, Ang. Look, I need to go. The guide is signaling I need to go."

((At least tell me where you're at.))

"Mollepata. We're going to Machu Picchu. I'll make sure that I get a message to you in seven days if I'm unable to call you, okay?"

((Alright, Sweetie. Take care of yourself. Be safe. Okay? You know I love you.))

"I love you too, Ang. And I'm always safe..."

((Have fun.))

"Bye Ang."

...............................

**Salkantay Alternate Trek – Day One**

Brennan had tried to stay away from the other members of the hiking tour. From what she could gather, they were exactly what she thought they were. Business men and women who had too much money and thought going to the gym five days a week meant that they were in perfect shape. She didn't want to talk to any of them. She didn't have anything in common with any of them. She'd found talking to the porters in their native language far more engaging than any conversation she could have with one of the other trekkers.

She carried her own items, which had seemed odd that all the others would have the porters carry their luggage. It didn't seem like they were going to get any type of a journey letting them do all the hard work.

The day's journey was not difficult, though many of the others seemed to complain about how they weren't as in shape as they had thought they were. Brennan just tried to ignore them, to try to think of it as only her trip. Like she was the only one there.

The villages they'd passed had been absolutely breathtaking. These places actually made her sad, sad of how developed the world had become. How much glass and metal was everywhere. Out there, it was mostly natural and what wasn't had been forged long ago and made of raw materials from the land.

Izcuchaca was the first village they passed through. Though it was ancient, there had been upgrades made in the progress of tourism. Brennan never understood why people would want to be so pampered in their customary style when they could truly immerse themselves in the culture of where they were visiting. It made no sense to her. The village seemed like it was built to be one whole piece at the time of its birth, but now had other separate newer pieces. A train ran along the village in order to transport locals and tourists. A beautifully built bridge brought people in, splendid in its building origin. Pure nature seemed to stem from all around the bridge's outside world.

She'd wished that Booth was there, she knew that even he'd appreciate it. He'd want to know how they'd been able to construct the bridge and its guarded entrance. Brennan smiled, but then found herself struggling to hold back her tears. She'd have gladly explained it to him too.

Brennan pulled out her digital camera, she'd been trying to keep up to date with pictures as they went along, documenting her trip. She knew that at the very least that Angela and Hodgins would be interested in them, especially Angela.

The second village they went through was Zurite, which appeared slightly more technologically moved along than Izcuchaca but not by much. Brennan had a feeling that it had to do with the treks and all of the tourists that went through. The houses were built from small brick-like stones that fit perfectly together with a wood braided roof.

Off to the side of the village, Brennan had found the terracing of the mountainside that still remained incredible. To think that all that time it had remained. And remnants of the original design could be still seen through the growth as it scaled the mountain to the summit. Like huge steps just carved into the mountain itself.

Ancahuasi was more of a farming community. The land there was flat and dirt lay as the ground all around the village. As they'd travelled through, Brennan had noticed the areas they used for farming were flourishing and that they had both alpaca and llama in the village. Farming wasn't all that the village did, though; there was also a futbol area in which youths played in.

The guide announced that they were going to be stopping for the night at Markokasa, he announced first in Spanish and then in English. Brennan had picked it up in Spanish. She almost wished that the guides only spoke Spanish, so that it made the hikers communicate in the native tongue. Though, then she'd have to hear about them whine about not understanding the guide as well and she just didn't want to add that to the complaints she was already hearing.

Markokasa was still some ways off; they'd pass through the ruins of Tarawasi first.  
The ruins in Tarawasi were just as fantastic as the trip so far had been.

There were stone walls built up by the Incans along with an interesting wall set on top of the land that the stone wall terraced and set back. It was made of terra cotta colored rectangular stones and had doors that didn't lead anywhere set apart a few feet. It was something to be seen. Brennan wondered if in the time of Inca Reign if they had housed guards or if they had possibly meant something else.

Were they meant to house something?

Were they there for sacrifice?

What were the doors there for?

Following the stone wall there was a settlement that had come into being behind it. It hadn't been in the time of the Incas, but it was still ancient. It was all still so beautiful.

She stopped and just stared at it all.

Brennan wished she could share it with Booth.

He'd again think it was so cool that they'd be able to manage so much with so little technology.

They moved on away from the Tarawasi ruins and towards where they'd be camping for the night at Markokasa. The landscape around them was lush and green. So different from what she was used to in Washington D.C. and absolutely gorgeous.

And then the complaints started again.

"Can you believe how much walking there is? I thought this was paced!"

"We should have taken the bus tour."

"We should have just gone straight to the end, forget the tour!"

Brennan tried to ignore it all, but found it hard. She bit her tongue. She wanted to tell them how ignorant they were being, but really didn't want to be seen. It wasn't that she didn't think that she could handle the argument that would ensue, she was just trying to be invisible and thus far she'd succeeded.

Once at Markokasa, tents were already set up and dinner was already being cooked. Brennan had gotten something light to eat and then had returned to where she'd set up her sleeping bag under the stars. She curled up in the sleeping bag, pulled the top flap over her head and let the tears flow from her eyes. She sobbed quietly and eventually drifted off to sleep.

..............................

TBC...


	6. Day Two and Three

**Title:** The Man in the Hospital  
**Author:** Shannon - shannyfish  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Bones" or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Pick up from the Season Four Finale – plain and simple.  
**Warning:** Severe spoilers for "The End of the Beginning" – Season Four Finale episode! You have been warned!

**Chapter 6 – "Day Two and Three"**

**Author's Note: **

new music videos on BonesTube – profile name: shannyfish  If you would rather download directly then say so in the comment!

chapter 6 – "Bring on the Wonder" – Susan Enan

.............................

**Markoksa, Peru**

Morning.

Brennan was up before any of the others, she'd taken the opportunity to talk to the guide. She'd managed to convince him to leave her behind and promised that she'd follow in a few hours, but would camp on her own. He'd agreed, though he'd seemed hesitant. She'd gotten what she'd wanted and would be happy for it soon enough.

It wasn't about getting what she wanted; it was about being able to enjoy her trip and trying to forget.

How could she forget?

She let her head fall into her hands.

Booth.

Brennan felt like she should have brought along a satellite phone, at least then she'd be able to check in on how Booth was doing. She even strangely felt like chatting with Angela, she didn't care what they talked about. Anything would work for her at the moment. She just felt like she needed to hear her friend's voice.

Was she lonely?

She realized that she wasn't used to being alone anymore. In the last few years she'd become accustomed to having someone with her almost constantly.

Booth.

Brennan sighed and looked off into the distance, she heard whiney businessmen on vacations being helped up onto the saddle horses and mules. Starting at this point, this would be the journey...the hike...the beginning of what she'd signed up for. They were weak. They were pathetic. None of them would know true adventure, true discovery, or truly what it meant to be in nature.

Soon they'd be gone.

Soon there'd be silence.

Soon she'd be alone.

Maybe that was what she needed. To be alone. To learn what it meant to be alone, what it was like. She'd become soft. Being partners with Booth had changed her life. Not only her perception of living life, but a lot of things. She'd thought about it a lot over the past few hours as she'd waited for the camp to wake and pack up.

Her social skills.

Her behavior.

Her attitude towards a lot of things.

Her family.

Her clothes.

Her heart.

Her soul.

And maybe even her mind...

Brennan couldn't be sure about the latter, but she was pretty sure that it was a pretty sure thing. Booth had changed her. She'd been happy with herself before, at least she thought she had been. Was she any better for the changes? For perceiving changes in people? For perceiving emotion and body language in people more than she had previously? Did it make her soft? Did it make her science soft?

She was confused.

She knew it, which was even more confusing and even painful. Brennan didn't know what direction to take her thoughts in. At the moment, she wished to just turn it all off. To just concentrate on her journey. But why couldn't she? Booth, she knew, would probably say that there was something unconscious that was nagging her. Angela would agree with him, and even possibly Cam. She didn't care what Sweets said, whether he'd agree or not.

"You're sure?"

The voice was deep and accented. She didn't look up at him, she just nodded. "Thank you. I truly appreciate the opportunity you're giving me."

"Be safe."

"I promise."

With that, the camp was off on its way to its next location. She'd be left in the peace and comfort of the natural surroundings of Peru. No complaints would be heard. Brennan planned on staying there for about two hours. Just enough time for the group to get far enough ahead of her, even with their rests, that she wouldn't run into them. That was the goal at least.

Pulling her backpack towards her, she unlatched it and flipped it open. Inside she found her map and removed it. Unfolding it, she was thankful that she'd already mapped out the route for herself. She'd be heading towards Choquekiclla and then on to Soraypampa, or at least close to it. She didn't want to camp with the group, which was their camping area. From there, she'd have a spectacular view of the Salkantay Mountain along with the glaciers nearby. She was looking forward to it.

............................

**Make-Shift Campsite**

**Soraypampa, Peru**

The hike to the area had been welcome and she'd found it very refreshing. She'd found an area to set up camp and had pulled out what food she had with her to eat a light dinner. Brennan didn't need anything fancy. She knew how to survive on limited rations if she needed to.

Lying back on her sleeping bag, she stared up at the sky. Stars freckled the dark sky illuminated sky. She smiled upward. She missed seeing the naked and nature wonders of the night sky, the stars and the moon held up there together.

In D.C. there were too many lights. In the U.S. in general there was just so much light that was emitted that they lost all of the beautiful nature nightlights that the stars provided. It was simple, majestic, heartwarming, and even grounding. To think of how small she was compared to the stars. Sure, they looked small to her, but she knew the science. She knew how big they were, how hot they were, how old they were... It was amazing when you actually thought about it.

The science.

She missed explaining the science.

She missed Booth.

Brennan sighed and realized that she'd have somehow explained the science of stars. Booth would probably comment that they were a big ball of gas, like small suns, and she'd go off to correct him in scientific terms...and then they'd take the time to look at the star groupings. How the constellations represented the ancient world. How it all was one big circle. How the ancient world impacted them.

How small life truly was.

She felt sadness creeping into her whole, but she pulled in a deep chopping breath of air before getting into her sleeping bag. She stared up at the stars and decided maybe pushing Booth out of her mind wasn't healthy...maybe it was okay. To imagine him there with her gave her some comfort. It reminded her of the time that her parents had left...imagining them coming home and having a proper Christmas with her and Russ had given her comfort and solace for a time...until she woke up the next morning.

It was a temporary and childish fix.

She was okay with that.

...why was she okay with that?

Brennan closed her eyes and let tears fall. Her life had become so confusing. Sometimes she wished that she was like she had been before she knew Booth. She'd had ignorance, but Brennan thought that that ignorance to the fast paced pop culture world had been okay... She had been okay with it.

"That's the big dipper," she whispered and pointed it out.

It hurt to get the words out, they broke a bit, but she managed. At least she could share her journey with someone, even if they were imaginary.

Maybe she was losing it...

Maybe she'd finally snapped.

She didn't care. This kept her from feeling like she was going to break in half. Like she was going to tear and never mend. This made her feel whole.

The very thought of her Booth made her smile. She wondered if he'd complain about having a tent or not, of course with the view they would have...she didn't see why he would. He'd get used to it at the very least.

Booth.

He'd still have his cocky belt buckle and his fantastically colored striped socks.

And she'd love it.

Staring up at the stars, she wondered if Booth could see even one twinkling in D.C. and if he were looking up at that very one, if he'd know she was thinking of him. That she missed him and wished that he were with her.

"Good night, Booth," she whispered.

.......................................

**Day Three**

**Pampa Japonesa**

So far, her pace had been perfect. She hadn't run into the group she'd started off with. She was fine with that. With the breathtaking view of the eternal glaciers above her, Brennan continued onward. There was still a ways to go. Today, she'd be hiking up through the Salcantay pass. With the elevation increasing, it made things a bit difficult, but she adjusted.

Elevation would be a lot to face on this journey.

The destination for the end of the day was Incachiriaska, which was supposed to be a meadow of some sort. Brennan had a feeling that that meant that she'd do some hiking back down in elevation. She wished that she'd brought along a topographical map instead of the basic one she had. At the moment, it would be more useful in judging the strain she'd be enduring for the day.

Nevertheless, she'd keep going.

Machu Picchu was her goal and she wasn't going to stop now. She'd signed herself up for this, she could do it. She knew she could definitely do it without the touring group. Who needed a bilingual guide when she spoke both Spanish and English and could read a map? Who needed porters when she could carry her own things and could set up her own camp? Brennan didn't need any of it. She needed the space.

And there was space.

There was almost too much space. It seemed like so much farther now, though she was sure it was just the loneliness. She'd pushed Booth to the back of her mind, convinced herself that it wasn't healthy pretending he was there and even unhealthier to talk to him like he was.

She felt like she was losing her mind.

"You're not," she whispered to herself. Brennan knew that that would be what Booth would say. He'd say that it was okay. That she was only doing it to survive. He'd seen things...of course he had a brain tumor. She didn't have that medical excuse.

What if Booth was right? What if the private had helped save him when the Gravedigger had stranded him on that doomed aircraft carrier?

Did she believe in that?

That was Booth's religion. His ideas of God and angels and miracles. There was no science behind it. It couldn't be logically explained. So, how could she trust it.

Booth would say, she thought. "That sometimes things can't be explained by science," she responded for him. "Like love..." Her words were just a whisper as she stopped and just stared up at the great Salcantay Mountain. She sighed and found that she was crying again. Tears fell down her face, but she left them, letting them fall where they wanted. "I wish you were here to see this, Booth."

Sure, she'd taken pictures, but it wasn't the same. Pictures couldn't put you in her exact place with the exact same feelings and the gentle breeze that dried her tears.

Forcing herself to move, Brennan focused on where she needed to move towards. She fixated on a specific destination in front of her and started to move towards it. Right now all she wanted was to make it to the meadow and form her 'camp' for the night. It was useless though, she thought that every morning it would be easier. It wasn't. She still wanted Booth.

They had a symbiotic relationship and she certainly wasn't thriving without him.

Her heart was broken.

Her head was broken.

Her whole being felt broken.

Broken without Booth there.

Brennan hated feeling so dependent and so pathetic, but she did. She'd woven her life with his and now she'd tried to sever their ties with one quick pull of the string. It wasn't that easy.

Nothing was easy.

Everything was just broken.

...............................

TBC...


	7. Day Seven and Eight

**Title:** The Man in the Hospital  
**Author:** Shannon - shannyfish  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Bones" or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only. "  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Pick up from the Season Four Finale – plain and simple.  
**Warning:** Severe spoilers for "The End of the Beginning" – Season Four Finale episode! You have been warned!

**Chapter 7 – "Day Seven and Eight"**

**Author's Notes: **Okay, I do plan on finishing this. Just been a lot going on the last year. Also, this fic takes A LOT of research and a different tone of voice. It takes me a bit to slide into this writing style sometimes ~_^

**Day Seven – Somewhere in Peru**

It felt like it had been two weeks, but Brennan knew it had only been four days. She'd left later than the group that she was following behind on day three and had ended up injuring herself during the close of the day. She'd purposefully stayed behind the group quite a bit more in order to have her privacy and apparently it had been enough that they hadn't heard her calls for help. How everything must just echo up here.

Brennan had been rationing her food and water. She had enough for a few more days if she needed to stretch it further. She'd tried to move in order to perhaps come along someone, but with her leg broken and feeling her other ankle weakened and possibly sprained, there was a higher chance that she'd further injure herself. The last thing she needed was for the bone to actually protrude from her skin from the break in her leg. Bleeding out wouldn't help her last out there.

Booth would have made her bring a satellite radio.

She hadn't brought one.

She had wanted quiet.

Isolation.

Time to think.

Well, she was definitely getting that.

And all she'd come up with was that she missed Booth and she missed his overprotective ways. That Booth would probably actually enjoy the trip if he didn't have to hike so much in one day. Booth would make it take a week, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't mind it. He'd mind the whiny businessmen on vacation though. She smiled at that thought.

Today was the day she was supposed to get word to Angela. Brennan felt an overwhelming sadness hit her; she didn't want to worry Angela. Of course, technically, her current situation was cause for worry but she didn't want to put Angela through that. She'd put herself here. She'd been unable to deal with the world that she had lived in and had left it to come live in one that was of isolation, sadness, and survival. Angela was never going to let her leave the Continental United States again.

Brennan groaned as she attempted to move. She'd already attempted to fix her leg as best she could. She was afraid that it'd start to heal and would have to later be re-broken and set correctly. The pain would be worth it, she knew. It wasn't something to look forward to, but it would be necessary. She tried to move so that she could put her back against the mountain side. She'd been working slowly each day to inch closer and closer.

Her surroundings were flat land and then the mountains. She knew that only so many tours were permitted each year on that trail and it wasn't likely that another group would be right along to save her. She needed to come up with a viable plan. Brennan yanked her backpack to her and pulled out the map. Unfolding it and then smoothing it, she looked it over to try to figure out where exactly she was. Of course, a satellite phone and GPS would have come in quite handy in this case if she'd actually packed those things.

They'd already passed Pampa Japones. She'd made it past the Inca Chiriaska Pass, she knew that. She moved her finger along the trail map. Sisaypampa was the next location where the group she'd originally been with would have camped the fourth night. She wasn't really sure how far in between the pass and the next camp she was. Which made it harder to figure out the distance. There was no way that she'd make it to Machu Picchu though in her condition. She'd need a mule or another rideable animal of some kind.

- Sisaypampa – Day Four Camp

- Wayllabamba – Day Five Camp

- Pacamao – Day Six Camp

- Machu Picchu

That's where she should be. At Machu Picchu, reveling at the beauty and spender of the remains of an ancient and advanced society. She could make the food and water stretch for that long if she really wanted, for four more days, but she knew that there was just no way she could walk it. Even if she was able to set her broken leg herself and splint it and deal with her weakened other ankle, it would take her possibly a week to make it at the very fastest. Her bones would most likely protest, though, in doing so.

She needed Booth.

That was the bottom line.

She needed Booth.

Looking around, she looked for anything she could use to hold her ankle still so that she could try to yank it back into place. There was a rock here and there, but not a lot that were together where she could use them to manipulate her bones. "There has to be something," she mumbled.

A splint had already been thought out. She had a small first aid kit, but it didn't have a splint in it. Her backpack, however, had a metal pipe frame. She'd pulled the backpack's frame apart and decided to use four of the pieces that were similar in size. She wanted to make sure that the bone didn't move at all if she tried to put her weight on her leg. She needed to walk.

The only solution to set her leg was to use her belt around a smaller rock. She slung it around the back of it and placed her foot firmly flat against the rock's side before strapping it in place. The angle hurt, but it needed to be like that. She double checked to make sure that the belt was good and tight, she didn't need to be slipping when she started to pull.

Pulling back with all her weight, she put her other foot alongside of the other and pushed. She kept her balance as best as she could and screamed as she did so. The pain was barely bearable. She kept wanting to stop, but she kept knowing that if she stopped then she'd have to start all over again and at the moment she was actually really close to having it set. Stopping now would reverse any progress she'd made.

Once the bone was in place, she relaxed and reached out for the pipe pieces, the four pieces would be put on each side of her leg to ensure the bone remain exactly in place. She used a few pieces of gauze wrap in order to keep the pipes in place before unbinding her foot and turning to her belt. She wrapped it around so that it kept the bars in place in the middle of her leg. The gauze wrap kept it in place at the top and bottom. She just hoped it was enough to keep it secured.

She needed to get moving…

It was starting to get late, though and she knew that she shouldn't be moving in the dark, especially not in her state. She didn't have a choice, tomorrow would be day eight. She needed to try to move, to try to get to Sisaypampa…to Wayllabamba…to Pacamao…to Machu Picchu.

She went through her bag and made sure that she had anything. Anything she didn't absolutely need she'd leave behind. At least the sleeping bag, though warm, was light. It wouldn't hinder her movements. For that, she was thankful for. She tucked her sunglasses and hat away in her backpack before pulling the strings together and then pulling the flap down.

Time to move.

…

**Day Eight – Outside of Sisaypampa**

Brennan had stopped the night before after tripping and really slamming down on her legs. Her weakened ankle felt like it might be fractured, but not quite broken while her other leg felt like it'd shattered into a million pieces. She'd managed to get herself into her sleeping bag and had slept for the night right where she'd landed. There was no need for anything fancier.

The sun was overhead, though Brennan hadn't moved. She'd remained in her sleeping bag. She'd tried to sleep off the pain, but her leg just throbbed in pain. It was excruciating and the only pain killers she had were Motrin and Tylenol which she'd found in the first aid kit and only two doses each. It wasn't enough to kill the pain, she knew that. She'd eaten one of her bars and taken Motrin with a swig of water and then had told herself that she needed to sleep away some of the pain.

So when she woke later, it was dark and she hadn't moved an inch farther all day. And with the pain she was experiencing, Brennan didn't think it was possible for her to travel much further. There was no way that she'd make it to the next camp site. Wayllabamba was too far away and she'd end up going down hill. Though walking down hill was easier, it would increase the possibility of her furthering her injury. The ground in general was uneven and going down hill would pose the danger of her tripping and possibly rolling downward.

It would most likely result in her death.

She wouldn't fall off the side of the mountain or anything. She'd just tumble enough that she'd most likely hit her head on a rock and incur some kind of skull injury, which in turn would result in a brain injury.

…

**Day ? – Outside of Sisaypampa**

The days passed by in a blur. Brennan wished that she'd taken the time to write in the journal she'd brought along. That she'd left a goodbye to Booth...to Angela…to Hodgins…to everyone… So that if her body was someday found, they'd know that she had thought about them in her final days. She knew that it would mean something to them.

But she had no strength left.

She was cold and the wind howled. It had rained lightly the night before, just enough to soak the ouside of the sleeping bag, but it hadn't permeated the core of the bag. So for now, she was still able to keep somewhat warm.

She was fading.

She could feel it.

Did Booth even remember her, she wondered. Would he grieve her loss? Tears slipped through her closed lids and down her checks. She sucked in breath eagerly. "I'm sorry, Booth," she whispered to the wind. If only, the wind could take it to his ears. She hoped that he wouldn't blame himself, that he wouldn't be scarred for life, that he'd move on with his life. She was only his partner and she'd known the risks when she'd started this trail. The only regrets she had was not being able to say goodbye.

Booth.

"I'm here, Bones," came the gentle voice.

Booth's voice.

Brennan couldn't manage to force her eyes opened and just wrapped her arms around her body tighter. She was hallucinating. It wasn't uncommon. She was badly injured, in pain, and hadn't really been eating or drinking the last of her rations. Hallucinations were to be expected. Why the hallucination of Booth hadn't come along sooner, she didn't know.

"You're not real," she barely whispered in response.

"You gotta hold on, Bones," his voice told her.

She was happy she could hear his voice. This last time. It was comforting. She could feel arms around her, supporting her. She let out a cry though when her leg spasmed. And then the cold swept in and blanketed her body. She gripped the sleeping bag, but it didn't help.

…

TBC…


	8. The Day After the Last Day

**Title:** The Man in the Hospital  
**Author:** Shannon - shannyfish  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Bones" or its characters, Fox does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only. "  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Pick up from the Season Four Finale – plain and simple.  
**Warning:** Severe spoilers for "The End of the Beginning" – Season Four Finale episode! You have been warned!

**Chapter 8 – "The Day After the Last Day"**

**Author's Notes: **Okay, I do plan on finishing this. Just been a lot going on the last year. Also, this fic takes A LOT of research and a different tone of voice. It takes me a bit to slide into this writing style sometimes ~_^

**Day ? - Unknown Location**

She felt light.

She felt tingly all over. It was like her skin was dancing. She couldn't see, but it was light. She didn't know where she was. She knew she wasn't where she'd been the day before. She couldn't feel the pipes that had held her bones in place. She didn't have the sleeping bag wrapped around her. All those things were gone.

The sounds that engulfed her were quiet, but if she concentrated on them, they became overpowering. So, she tried not to focus on them, but sometimes there was a sound. It would seem like a familiar whisper but when she concentrated, then it would just be a pool of sound. Nothing felt familiar in that pool.

Brennan realized that this was somewhat familiar to what people described some versions of an afterlife. She didn't believe in God or an afterlife, so why was she there? She couldn't move, even if she wanted to move towards the white light. She was stationary…in almost a stasis state.

"Temperance, if you can hear me," said a gentle beautiful male voice. "I love you." The last part was a whisper, but she heard it.

The voice had brought comfort to her. She wondered whom the voice belonged to. She honestly didn't believe in God, but somehow she thought that Booth would believe that God would be there for her just the same. Even if she didn't believe. Was that the case?

…

**The Blur that Came After**

"Bones?"

"Temperance?"

"Give her some space!"

The light had become brighter and the noise had clarified into distinct sounds. Into voices. Familiar voices. Voices that she could start placing names to. That had some semblance in her life. And then she realized it…

She was alive.

She hadn't died on that mountain.

The voices, they were Booth and her father and Angela and she was sure that if she could only force her eyes open that she could see their faces and possibly the faces of others. She tried, but they didn't budge, she couldn't even really feel them for certain. Her eyelids just weren't cooperating, she finally decided. She tried to move and she could suddenly feel as if weight was pressed upon her body.

It wasn't heavy, per say.

The lightness was gone.

She was no longer a feather.

Weight had returned to her body.

She was whole again.

That was all she could think of when she was trying to figure out what was going on. But she'd been there the whole time. She'd heard them, so it wasn't like she hadn't been there before… This was just an odd way to regain consciousness, she decided.

"Booth," the name escaped her lips, barely audible and without her permission.

It wasn't that she didn't want Booth, she did. She needed him, but she hadn't thought to say it. It had just come out all on its own. She could slowly feel all her body…her legs lying straight and her arms at her sides. She ached, but she wasn't surprised. Brennan remembered what had happened. The pain and agony that she'd endured during the time she was up there on her own.

The touch of her hand in someone else's hand caught her by surprise. Warmth spread from her hand and up to her heart. She immediately knew who was there. Holding her hand. Trying to comfort her. Booth, he was definitely there. By her bedside, just waiting for her to open her eyes.

So, why was that so hard?

Eyes open. Nothing. Brennan tried again, but nothing happened. It was highly disappointing to say the least. She felt like she was so close. Like she was under the water and so close to the surface in order to pull in fresh clean air into her lungs. She was so close and yet it felt so, so far…

"I'm here," came his whisper.

It was encouraging, but her eyes still wouldn't cooperate. Instead, she was highly aware of her own throat and lungs. She was trying to breathe, but something was there blocking it. But she was breathing…but her body started to labor because of it.

"Relax."

The voice calmed her, and she tried not to focus on it. She wanted nothing more to see him. To see his warm chocolate eyes staring down at her. Brennan remembered telling him that she hated it when he let her hug him when she was scared. Right now, she could let him hold her for a year and still not want him to let go. She needed him. She needed his comfort.

Pain.

Immense pain.

It overtook her.

Made her scream out in agony.

It was even more intense than her leg had been. It was the worst pain she'd ever felt. She wanted to pull her skin from her bones. To try to pull the pain away from her in any way. "Help me!" she screamed. She thought she saw a hand reach out for her and she tried to reach for it, but it disappeared before she could grip it. It was just gone. She was alone. But soon the cruel darkness overtook her. Pulling her from the painful existence she'd been living into the silent, unfeeling void.

…

**Hospital Room**

The familiar sterile white room surrounded her and she suddenly felt panic wash over her. She was somewhere that was familiar and yet she had no recollection of getting there. Her eyes searched the room. It was empty, she was alone. Just her and the continual hum of the machines she was hooked up to. A machine was even breathing for her, which was starting to cause her to fight it. She was all too aware of it and not able to relax how she knew that she really needed to.

Machines beeped faster.

She could hear footsteps and she blinked. The sun was bright and shining in, making the room seem whiter and more washed out. A round nurse entered her room and called for another nurse to get a doctor.

"You need to relax, Doctor Brennan," the nurse said. "We're going to get this tube out. But you have to help us."

Brennan nodded the best she could and blinked her eyes to keep them open. Her lungs burned from her trying to fight the tube and the oxygen it was pumping into her lungs. So, she tried to relax. And it almost completely worked.

A doctor arrived and another nurse. The tube was removed and she was offered a sip of water. Only a sip. It was all they thought she could handle and they were most likely right. She'd make herself sick if she attempted to gorge herself on the sweet wet liquid. "Booth," she managed to get out.

"You have some visitors," the nurse said. "They've been waiting for quite some time. We'll allow them in to visit as soon as the doctor is done."

"Should only be a few more minutes," the doctor tried to assure as he continued to look her over and then occasionally look at the machines.

Several minutes passed, she tried to remain as patient as possible. Finally, the doctor made a comment that she was recovering nicely and the nurses seemed pleased. They told her that they'd be bringing in her visitors. Excitement and anxiety seized her system. She wasn't sure what to feel at first.

Happy faces entered.

Everyone was glowing.

There was chattering.

Everyone she had thought was there before the pain, was there and more. Her father, Booth, Angela, Hodgins, Cam, Sweets, interns… She tried to offer them a smile, but wasn't sure if it actually reached her cheeks.

"Hey, how'ya feeling, Sweetie?" Angela asked, moving past everyone to her side.

Brennan noticed that she seemed happy. That was a relief; she thought that Angela would be a complete wreck from worry. Of course, she was fine and that was probably where the good mood came from. "I'm sorry, Ang," she forced out.

"Shhh… We're just all glad that you're safe," she said as she moved a strand of Brennan's hair back behind her ear. "You get some rest… We can't stay for long, but I am going to bring you some clothes and other things by tomorrow… So, don't worry about that."

"Thanks, Ang."

"And don't worry, I've been watching the mini squints," Hodgins said.

Brennan smiled. "Thank you, Doctor Hodgins."

"No worries," he said and turned to the interns that had assembled in the back of the room.

She watched as Hodgins, Angela, and the interns slowly filed out of the room. Cam, Sweets, Booth, and her father remained.

"I'm really glad that you're okay, Doctor Brennan," Cam said. "If there's anything you need, let me know."

"Thank you," she said. Cam nodded and then left the room as well.

"If you need to talk-" Sweets started.

Brennan quickly interrupted. "I'll…keep that in mind." She didn't want to upset him, but she also didn't want to talk to him about what had happened. She had psychology.

"You're so lucky," her father said as he approached her bedside.

She noticed that he looked like he was going to cry. She hadn't meant to cause him pain or worry. She'd only meant to get away for a while, to clear her head. To bring in objectivity.

"Please, don't leave the country again without someone going with you," he requested. "Russ has been so worried since I had to call him…"

"I'm sorry," she whispered and looked down. She felt like she was five suddenly. She really hadn't expected to be found and wake up in a hospital in the United States with so many loved ones around her so worried about her. She'd honestly expected to die out there. On the mountain.

He reached out and stroked her cheek before leaning in and kissing her forehead. "I love you, Tempe."

"I love you, Dad," she whispered back. Tears formed in her eyes, but remained there. She didn't want to break down crying in front of him. She needed to be strong. She'd had to have been strong growing up. She had to take care of herself and she hated to show such weakness.

He left after a moment, leaving just Booth in the room. She'd seen him; he'd been in the far back. His back against the wall, leaning with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes had never left her. He'd waited patiently for his turn to talk with her. She had so many questions and she was just generally happy to see him.

"Please, never do that again," he whispered.

His eyes were sad and worried. She could tell this so easily. Booth could still read people so much better than she could, but these basic things she could tell from looking at him. Plus, Booth was probably the one person on the planet that she knew best. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She'd repeated it enough…but she truly was. She had thought that she needed it, but she really had needed Booth. She'd needed him.

"What were you looking for in Peru?" he asked as he moved a chair from the corner to her bedside. He sat down in it and stared at her.

"I was…I was trying to escape," she told him honestly. "I couldn't handle it here… It was too much. Too much that wasn't familiar. There was too much change…and yet everything hardly changed."

He nodded. "You were running from me."

"No-"

"I thought you were dead," he interrupted. "Wendell and I went looking for you when you didn't check in. We had to get a guide and walk the trail from Machu Picchu…we didn't know exactly where you were on the path. What were you thinking? Not taking a satellite phone? Not taking GPS? Leaving the guide group?"

His voice raised a bit. He was upset, but not furious with her. She didn't blame him though if he wanted to be absolutely appalled with her. "I…I needed to quiet… And then I realized… Out there, when I was alone…that I wished that you were there. And towards the end…or at least what I remember of it. You were there with me."

"You saw me?" he asked in confusion.

"No…but I heard you," she clarified. "You and Wendell went down to Peru to find me?"

"Of course," Booth told her. His voice soft. "I couldn't lose you… I may not remember every single detail of every case we've worked over the last several years, but I can tell you that there is no way I'd just move on… I care about you, Bones…"

She nodded, the tears finally releasing down her cheeks. "I know," she whispered. She felt the same. It was unspoken between them. It had been for so many years. They were so close…and yet in ways, they were still struggling to meet. It was hard to explain. And…then, it felt like they were so close. Maybe she was afraid. Afraid of commitment. Afraid of loving someone with all her heart… But didn't she already? She loved Booth. She'd happily give her life to save his… She had wanted to have his child… She had wanted to forever be linked to him. Wasn't that loving him with her whole heart?

"I need to say it," he told her, leaning forward in his chair.

"Booth-" she began, but he stopped her.

"When I saw you there…and I thought for a second that we were too late. That you were gone. I had wished that I'd never made it through that surgery… That somehow that would have kept you from going there… But even if you had, all I could think was that at least we'd be together in Heaven. I just…I can't stand to think to live without you, Temperance…" His voice lowered to a mere whisper. "I love you, Bones. You have to know that. That I can't live without you here…"

It was so much to take in. So much love to process. She'd been far too used to trying to push people away. From not having a family. From not feeling like she even had a place within the Jeffersonian family…or her own biological one. This was something that had been unspoken. They both knew it was there.

"I love you," she whispered back. "I'm so sorry I left… I just…I couldn't think… I couldn't bear for you to not remember me…to not remember what our lives have been together," she confessed. It sounded pathetic suddenly, but did it really matter? They were both alive, safe, sound, and together… They'd spoken words that they'd hidden away in their hearts.

He moved from his chair, he held her hand and kissed her forehead before moving down to meet her lips. She returned the kiss and suddenly her leg, that had been throbbing, felt at ease. Like the pain had floated away. Nothing mattered but them, they were together…they were happy…they loved each other.

"Promise?" he requested.

Brennan smiled a small smile. "I promise that the next time I want to hike the trail to Machu Picchu, that I'll take you with me," she said. It would be far more enjoyable with him there and she had a feeling that he'd have the right things to say if there were businessmen there that annoyed her. He always knew the right things to say to people. She didn't have that talent.

"I expect you to keep that promise," he told her before kissing her again. "Plus," he added after a moment. "There seems to be a shortage of Forensic Anthropologists with your genius. And I'm sure that even if I found one that was close to it, I wouldn't be able to work with them. It's you and me, Bones."

"You and me," she echoed with a bright smile, her hand held his tightly as she stared up at him.

…

The End.


End file.
